November 4, 2025
Police Department
DATE: November 4, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Bisa French, Chief of Police
Subject:
Service Agreement Amendment with Contra Costa
County Animal Services Department
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $1,403,221 expenditure is included within the approved Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Police Department
budget (Account String: 01191021-400221).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
September 10, 2024
November 28, 2023
July 19, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond Police Department maintains an ongoing
agreement with the Contra Costa County Animal
Services Department for animal control; however, the
annual amount requires Council approval. The Fisal Year 2025-26 contract cost is $1,403,221, based on a per
capita rate of $12.45 and the City’s population reported by the California Department of Finance. The Department budgeted $1,374,703 and will transfer $28,518 internally to cover the shortfall. City Council approval is needed to approve a purchase order for services from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE a contract payment amount
of $1,403,221 for the continuation of funding for the
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Contra Costa County Animal
Services Agreement extending the service agreement by
one year, for the term of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2026 – Police Department (Chief Bisa French 510-621-
1802).
AGENDA
REPORT
November 4, 2025
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond entered into a City-County Animal Services Agreement (Agreement) with the Contra Costa County Animal Services Department (County) to provide State-mandated animal-related services to the City’s residents (Attachment 1).
The Agreement began on July 1, 2022, and had a two-year term with an ending date of June 30, 2024. The Agreement provides for automatic renewal for successive three- year terms until either party terminates the Agreement by giving the other party 90-days advance written notice of termination. The Agreement was amended by the County to correct section 13.a.iiii. as approved by City Council on November 28, 2023 (Attachment 2).
The County uses the following formula and is based on the City’s population according to the California Department of Finance Demographic E1 report published at the beginning of each Calendar year. For this reason, the City could not accurately estimate the total amount due when the agreement was first taken to Council on July 19, 2022:
For each fiscal year thereafter, the per capita rate for the Annual Fee shall be calculated using the following formula: (A) the County’s budgeted cost to provide Animal Services throughout the County in that fiscal year, minus the sum of animal licensing fees and user fees projected to be received from all County residents in that fiscal year, minus the budgeted County general fund contribution for that fiscal year, divided by (B) the sum of the population of all cities for which the County provides Animal Services. For example, if the budgeted cost to provide Animal Services throughout the County is $12,640,000, the animal licensing and user fees projected to be received are $1,620,000, the budgeted general fund contribution is $4,112,000, and the population is 866,583, then the per capita Annual Fee would be $7.97 per capita [($12,640,000 - $1,620,000 - $4,112,000) / 866,583]. For a City with a population of 100,000, the total Annual Fee would be $797,000.
On September 10, 2024, City Council approved funding in the amount of $1,374,703 for Fiscal Year 2024-25 and ratified the extension of the contract term through June 30, 2025.
In a letter addressed to City Manager Shasa Curl on February 21, 2025, the Animal Services Department stated the following (Attachment 3):
Per section 13.a.iii. in the City-County Services Agreement (attached), the city fees are the total County fiscal year (FY) cost to provide Animal Services, minus animal licensing and user fees, and minus the County General Fund contribution.
The information below details the values for FY 2025/26:
Total County Animal Service Cost $18,261,445
Total Licensing and User Fee Revenue $1,663,000
November 4, 2025
Total General Fund Contribution $5,934,970
Total City Contract Fees $10,663,475
The total per capita cost for each city for FY 2025/26 is $12.45. Based on your city’s population according to the California Department of Finance Demographic E1 report as released on May 1, 2024, the City contract cost for animal services in FY 2025/26 is $1,403,221.
Richmond Police Department staff originally entered the prior year budgeted amount of $1,374,703 as a placeholder, which was 10 percent more than the prior year actuals.
City Staff will make the appropriate budget transfer of $28,518 internally to make up for the shortfall.
The City’s purchasing policy states that staff must receive City Council’s approval prior to creating a purchase order to pay for the agreed upon services for the Fiscal Year starting July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
The City of Richmond Police Department staff believes the County services are the most economically feasible way to provide animal control services to its citizens and therefore asks that Council approve funding in the amount of $1,403,221 for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and ratify the extension of the contract term through June 30, 2026
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original Agreement
Attachment 2 – First Amendment to the Agreement
Attachment 3 – Fiscal Year 2025-2026 City Fee Letter